Description:

The computer program AQUASIM was used to model biological treatment of perchlorate-contaminated water using zero-valent iron corrosion as the hydrogen gas source. The laboratory-scale column was seeded with an autohydrogenotrophic microbial consortium previously shown to degrade perchlorate. Consortium biokinetic parameters and data from column experiments were used to verify the model. The model was then used to simulate full-scale performance of an in-situ zero-valent iron permeable reactive barrier perchlorate-treatment system. Simulation results indicate full-scale field treatment systems have the potential to degrade significant concentrations of perchlorate in the presence of oxygen, under a variety of operating conditions.